In recent years, imaging apparatuses, such as digital still cameras, using the solid state image devices have been widely spread. With widespread use of such digital still cameras, correspondingly higher image quality is demanded. In particular, photography lenses, especially, zoom lenses having high imaging performance corresponding to solid state image devices having a large number of pixels are sought for the use with a digital still camera having a large number of pixels. Further, compactness is strongly demanded, and compact and high performance zoom lenses are sought. Further, technological development advances to enhance compactness in the optical axis direction in the manner that a prism is inserted between lenses and the optical system is bent(refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 8-248318 and No. 2003-43354, for example).
However, in the optical system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-248318, compactness is achieved in the manner that a prism is used in one group of a zoom type arrangement of positive-negative-positive-positive groups to thereby bend the optical axis. However, since lenses are arranged closer to the object side than to a reflection member, sufficient compactness cannot be achieved.
In the optical system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-43354, a prism having a negative refraction power is disposed on the most object side, whereby compactness of a bent portion is achieved. However, since the configuration is of a minus lead type, a diaphragm mechanism is large and the diaphragm mechanism moves along the optical axis during zooming, so that sufficient compactness for those including a lens barrel is not sufficiently achieved.